Brush construction



March 22, 1966 R. F. TILGNER BRUSH CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 12, 1964 FIG. I

RALPH F. T/LGNER.

ATTOI 7 March 22, 1966 R. F. TILGNER 3,241,172

BRUSH CONSTRUCTION Filed March 12, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 INVENTQR.RALPH F. Tue/v52 ATTOB EV March 22, 1966 R. F. TILGNER 3,241,172

BRUSH CONSTRUCTION Filed March 12, 1964 S Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 8

INVENTQR. RALPH E T/LGNER ATTOB 5V United States Patent 3,241,172 BRUSHCONSTRUCTION Ralph F. Tilgner, Ellicott City, Md., assignor toPittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Filed Mar. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 351,300 6 Claims. (Cl. -183)This application relates to a rotary, cylindrical brush. It particularlypertains to a novel construction for firmly locking replaceable brushstrips to a cylindrical core.

Cylindrical brushes are advantageously utilized in numerousapplications, such as permanently mounted brushes for cleaning sheetglass and sheet metal, such as steel, aluminum, nickel and the like; andfor cleaning conveyors, such as belt conveyors for coal, sand, salt,ores, and the like.

Such cylindrical brushes may have the brush strips disposed parallel tothe longitudinal axis or disposed in a helical configuration. Thehelical disposition of the brush strips render such brushes non-loading,i.e., the particles of dirt, metal and the like are not retainedinbetween the brushes, but tend to move to one end of the brush and arethereby removed from the surface of the cleaned material.

Since many of these cylindrical brushes are permanently mounted, it isadvantageous to utilize replace-able brush strips. Such strips generallycomprise a channel backing element, doubled fill material, and a coremem her for retaining the fill material with the channel backingelement. A typical brush strip is disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,038,759.r

In designing a cylindrical brush, it is desirable to utilize a standardcylindrical core member which is readily adaptable to the constructionof numerous types of cylindrical brushes such as the cylindrical brushesdisclosed in US. Patent No. 3,038,759. Thus, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a cylindrical brush which utilizes replaceablebrush strips and :a cylindrical core member.

The present invention contemplates a construction wherein replaceablebrush strips are disposed between retaining strips attached in pairs toa cylindrical core, said retaining strips being of thin, resilientmaterial, preferably metal such as steel, aluminum and the like, havinga generally rectangular shape and at least one of the longer edges ofsaid strip being flared at an angle of about 15 to about 80 from theplane of that portion of the strip which contacts the cylindrical core.

Pairs of retaining strips are attached to the cylindrical core so thatthe flared edges of each strip are adjacent and form a generallyU-shaped trough suitable for receiving a brush strip comprising doubledfill material contained in a U-shaped channel backing element.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had tothe accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts andin which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a brush formed in accordancewith the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary end view of a typical brush constructionembodying the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a single-flared, retaining strip ofthe type useful in this invention.

3,241,172 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 ice FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of adouble-flared, rolled-edge, retaining strip of the type useful in thepresent construction.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a length of brush strip of the typesuitable for the purposes of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of -a typical bushing useful in drivinghollow, cylindrical core members which are particularly useful in theconstruction of the instant invention.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary end view of a novel means for securing ahollow cylindrical core member to a bushing member.

FIGURE -8 is an end view of a novel means for securing a hollowcylindrical core member to a bushing.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the novel securing meansshown in FIGURE 8.

In the brush construction shown in FIGURE 1, the cylindrical core member1, may be a solid cylinder of metal, wood, plastic or other suitablematerial, or the core may be a hollow cylinder formed of sheet metalssuch as aluminum, steel, nickel, and the like. The brush strip 2 is ofthe construction shown in FIGURE 5 and is hereinafter described. Thebrush strip is held firmly, but replaceably, in position bydouble-flared retaining strips 3. The retaining strips are fastened byrivets 4, by welding, or similar means to the cylindrical core member 1.Also shown is a novel means for fastening a cylinder of sheet metal orother suitable material to a bushing 10 having a slot 11 and a screw 12.This fasten ing construction is more fully illustrated in FIGURES 6 and7.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the retaining strips 3, are positively attached tothe cylindrical core member by rivets 4. Other means of positiveattachment such as screws, bolts, spot welding and the like also may beutilized. The retaining strips 3 exemplify one embodiment of theinvention wherein the edge of the strip intended to contact the brushstrip is flared inwardly be fore being flared outwardly. The retainingstrips preferably contact the channel backing element: of the brushstrip at or near the base of the channel backing element and alsocontact the fill material at lines immediately above the upper edges ofthe channel backing element.

FIGURE 3 depicts a retaining strip having a single flared edge 5. Theretaining strip may be constructed of resilient aluminum, steel, nickeland the like. Stainless steel is the preferred material of constructionbecause of its strength and corrosion resistance. The flared edge may befurther folded 6 so that a smooth, non-cutting surface will contact thefill material of the brush strip. It is preferred that the flared edgebe folded when the brush filament are fibers of Tampico, sisal, nylonand the like.

The retaining strip of FIGURE 4 is similar to the double-flared strip ofFIGURE 1 but shows another type of folded edge. Numerous other types offolded edges may be utilized; although when the brush .filaments are ofmetal such as steel, nickel and the like, the flared edge need not befolded.

FIGURE 5 depicts a brush strip comprising a channel backing 7, which ispreferably of sheet metal; doubled fill material 8, which may be naturalfibers such as Tampico, sisal and the like, manufactured fibers such asnylon, fiber glass and the like, or metal filaments such as steel,aluminum, nickel, brass and the like; and a core-retaining member 9 ofmetal or cord, such as nylon.

The manufacture and detailed construction of brush strips is shown inUS. Patent No. 3,038,759. Brush strips manufactured and constructedaccording to that patent are readily usable in the present invention.

In FIGURE 6 a bushing used as a driving means for hollow cylindricalcore members is shown. These bushings may be constructed of Wood, metal,or plastic. Of the metals, cast aluminum is preferred although steel,brass, and other metals may be readily utilized. Plastics include nylon,Teflon, phenol-formaldehyde resins, melamine-formaldehyde resins,unsaturated polyester resins. and similar plastics which are hard andrigid at tempcratures of about F. to about 250 F. The plastics may bereinforced with filamentary material such as glass fibers and the like.

The bushing has an indentation lll in its peripheral surface whichprovides a locking arrangement with the hollow cylindrical core member.The locking means as shown in FIGURE 7 depicts a hollow cylindrical coremember 1 being deformed by pressure from a screw 12 so that the cylinderwall is forced at least partially into the indentation 111 of thebushing 10, thereby providing a positive driving means. Other means ofpositively attaching the hollow cylinder to the arbor may be utilized,as for example, the cylinder wall could be forced snugly into theindentation 11 of the arbor 1i) and then positively attached to thearbor by spotwelding, riveting, and similar means.

In FIGURES 8 and 9, another means for securing a hollow cylindrical coremember 1 to a bushing 10 is disclosed. Instead of a slot cut in theperiphery of the bushing, a hole 13 is drilled in the bushing 10. Thecylindrical core member is then dimpled or punched in such a manner asto press or extend some of the metal 14 of the cylindrical core memberinto the hole 13 in the bushing. This metal protuberance extending intothe hole in the bushing securely fastens the core member to the bushing;preventing motion in all directions. More than one hole in the bushingmay be utilized for a more rugged construction.

In manufacturing the cylindrical brushes of the instant invention, aretaining strip of the type illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 is firmlyattached to a core member, which may be a hollow metal cylinder. Thebrush strip may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindricalcore member or one end of the retaining strip may be radially displacedabout 1 to about 90 from the other end of the strip. A second retainingstrip is attached to the core member in such a manner as to have theflared edges of the retaining strips adjacent to each other and forminga continuous U-shaped trough extending over the surface of the cylinder.This operation is repeated until the de sired number of strips areattached to the core member. Generally, the retaining strips areattached in such a manner as to provide at least three U-shaped troughsspaced approximately equidistantly about the periphery of thecylindrical core member.

The retaining strips are placed adjacently in such a manner that theflared edges exert a pressure upon a brush strip disposed in theU-shaped trough formed by a pair of adjacent retaining strips. Theretaining strips may be placed adjacently so that the distance betweenthe flared edges at the surface of the cylindrical core member is onlyslightly larger than the width of the channel backing element therebyexerting pressure upon the channel backing element at its base as wellas exerting pressure near the upper edge of the channel backing element.

The brush strips are held firmly in place by the retaining strips andare not readily displaced. However, the brush strips may be replacedwhen worn by moving the 4 worn brush strip along the surface of thecylindrical core towards one end of the trough until it is completelyremoved. A new brush strip can then be inserted at one end of the troughand slid into position.

The hollow cylindrical core members mentioned hereinabove may be smooth,hollow cylinders of sheet metal or may be corrugated tubes of the typedisclosed in US. Patent No, 3,107,381. Corrugated tubes may be usedeffectively as the tube may be designed so that the base of the channelbacking of the brush strips may be reposed within a corrugation, thuslending lateral support to the brush strip.

The above description illustrates the novel features of the invention,however, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, butto include all of the variations and modifications falling within thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary brush core member comprising (a) a cylindrical core, and

(b) retaining strips attached in pairs to said cylindrical core, saidretaining strips being of thin, resilient material having a generallyrectangular shape, at least one of the longer edges being flared in sucha manner that when paired retaining strips are attached to thecylindrical core with flared edges adjacent to one another a generallyU-shaped trough is obtained, said U-shaped trough being suitable forreceiving a brush strip comprising doubled fill material contained in aU-shaped channel backing element and said retaining strips preferablycontacting the channel backing element of the brush strip near the baseof the channel backing element and contacting the fill materialimmediately above the upper edges of the channel backing element.

2. A rotary brush core member comprising (a) a cylindrical core, and

(b) retaining strips attached in pairs to said cylindrical core in ahelical configuration, said retaining strips being of thin, resilientmaterial having a generally rectangular shape, at least one of thelonger edges being flared at an angle of about 15 to about from theplane of that portion of the strip which contacts the cylindrical core,said paired retaining strips being attached to the cylindrical core sothat the flared edges are adjacent and form a generally U-shaped trough,said U-shaped trough being suitable for receiving a brush stripcomprising doubled fill material contained in a U-shaped channel backingelement and said retaining strips preferably contacting the channelbacking element of the brush strip near the base of the channel backingelement and contacting the fill material immediately above the upperedges of the channel backing element.

3. The rotary brush core member of claim 2 wherein the cylindrical coreis a hollow cylindrical core.

4. A rotary brush core member comprising (a) a cylindrical, hollow,sheet-metal core, and

(b) rectangular resilient metal retaining strips positively attached inpairs to said cylindrical core, each retaining strip having at least oneof its longer edges flared at an angle of about 15 to about 80 from theplane of that portion of the strip which contacts the cylindrical core,said paired strips being attached to: said cylindrical core to form agenerally U-shaped trough, said U-shaped trough being suitable forreceiving a brush strip comprising doubled fill ma-- terial contained ina U-shaped channel backing element and said retaining strips preferablycontacting the channel backing element of the brush strip nearthe baseof the channel backing element and contacting the fill materialimmediately above the upper edges of the channel backing element. Q

5. The rotary brush core member of claim 4 wherein the retaining stripsare positively attached in pairs to said cylindrical core in a helicalconfiguration.

6. The rotary brush core member of claim 4 wherein the resilient metalretaining strips are of stainless steel. 5

UNITED References Cited by the Examiner STATES PATENTS 6 3/1954 Sawyeret al n 15--183 X 8/1954 Morra 29124 X 4/1961 Park 15-183 1/1963Peterson 15202 3/1964 Nelson 15--182 7/1964 Grogan et a1. 15-182 FOREIGNPATENTS 1/ 1957 France. 3/ 1959 Switzerland.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

1. A ROTARY BRUSH CORE MEMBER COMPRISING (A) A CYLINDRICAL CORE, AND (B)RETAINING STRIPS ATTACHED IN PAIRS TO SAID CYLINDRICAL CORE, SAIDRETAINING STRIPS BEING OF THIN, RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A GENERALLYRECTANGULAR SHAPE, AT LEAST ONE OF THE LONGER EDGES BEING FLARED IN SUCHA MANNER THAT WHEN PAIRED RETAINING STRIPS ARE ATTACHED TO THECYLINDRICAL CORE WITH FLARED EDGES ADJACENT TO ONE ANOTHER A GENERALLYU-SHAPED TROUGH IS OBTAINED, SAID U-SHAPED TROUGH BEING SUITABLE FORRECEIVING A BRUSH STRIP COMPRISING DOUBLE FILL MATERIAL CONTAINED IN AU-SHAPED CHANNEL BACKING ELEMENT AND SAID RETAINING STRIPS PERFERABLYCONTACTING THE CHANNEL BACKING ELEMENT OF THE BRUSH STRIP NEAR THE BASEOF THE CHANNEL BACKING ELEMENT AND CONTACTING THE FILL MATERIALIMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE UPPER EDGES OF THE CHANNEL BACKING ELEMENT.